At the tail end of every September, Canadians observe the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. By encouraging citizens to wear orange and participate in community teach-in events, this public holiday seeks to redress the negative effects of residental schools on Indigenous communities.
Canada’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (NDTR), also known as Orange Shirt Day, falls on September 30 each year. To stand in solidarity with the thousands of Indigenous children who were subjected to colonial residential schools, many of my professors and classmates sported an orange top that day. In 2013, Phyllis Webstad described being dispossessed of all her belongings when first entering residential school at just six years old, including a shiny orange t-shirt from her grandmother. The article of clothing became transformed into a national symbol for the loss of Indigenous culture thereafter. NDTR speaks to a broader Canadian tradition of honoring First Nations communities past and present. Nuit Blanche (white night), an annual all-night celebration of contemporary art for Toronto residents, is another opportunity for Indigenous voices to be amplified.
